Housing market going to dogs – literally

Doggie Mansions, a company in West Palm Beach that builds designer doghouses priced from $10,500 to $100,000, is offering 10 percent commissions to real estate professionals who make the sale. Partners (and dog lovers) Stacy Small and Donald Gorbach, a veteran real estate practitioner, started the company last summer and quickly realized the value of paying commissions.

"On a $25,000 home, the commission comes to $2,500, and [real estate practitioners) don’t have to split it with anybody," says Small, who goes by the title Chief Barketing Officer. "This way we can have a sales force in place."

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is among the company’s customers. He spent $25,000 on a two-story, brick-faced Doggie Mansion for his three dogs. The 8-by-10-foot luxury dog retreat is equipped with air conditioning, a brushed micro-velvet suede couch, ceramic tile floors, large arched windows, a flat-screen plasma TV that loops classic canine movies like “Benji" and "Rin Tin Tin."

The mansions take two to four weeks to build, and can be shipped around the world. The company’s Web site, www.doggiemansions.com, includes doghouse listings.

Source: Newhouse News Service, Sam Ali (11/22/2006)

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